Need advice after 12+ years on Effexor
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi everyone. Need some advice. I was on Effexor for well over 12 years and was doing great until my generic was discontinued and substituted. A brief stint in Lexapro proceed to be bad for me (anxiety kept getting wise after 10 weeks). I'm now in Effexor XR 75 name brand for the it 3 months and was doing great until about two weeks ago when I had a two hour breakthrough anxiety attack. Since then, although it hasn't been horrible, it's still there and it doesn't leave until the evening. Has anyone had a similar thing? After taking to my doctor, not sure if I agree with bumping up to 150. I'm afraid that if I keep bumping up, I'll reach the max dose and still have anxiety.
Help!
0 likes, 4 replies
jennifer21990 tammy76379
Posted
tammy76379 jennifer21990
Posted
Hi. I'm on 75 mg.I've had anxiety since I was a kid after I broke my leg when I was 5. And without knowing what that excited feeling I had in my chest, I just lived with it, not knowing any better. I'm a very sensitive person, and as I've gotten older, I feel everything. It's a blessing and a curse. So when I had a bad knee injury about 16 years ago, the anxiety and panic really kicked in. And I mean REALLY! I started on Zoloft, and after a few months I felt flat, then I went to Effexor XR. And it was a godsend up until this year when the whole generic thing happened when I went on Lexapro for 10 weeks.
Thing is, anxiety stops everything. Even though I work through it with prayer and rethinking, it's a very annoying, sad and fearful way to live.So just be careful if you decide to wean off entirely. Don't do it cold turkey.
I've come to realize that I'll live with this the rest of my life, there's no cure for anxiety or panic.... Just management.
sun47 tammy76379
Posted
tammy i agree with your doctor that 150mg is worth going with,
75mg didnt quite work for me (i was still having anxiety),
so after 3-4 weeks on 75mg, i went to 150mg, and 150mg is working now for me, no depression or anxiety finally..
it did take a week or two for the 150mg dose to get rid of my anxiety, so do be patient if you move to 150mg.
dont worry about having to move up in dose again if you go to 150mg. what you can do instead (which is most likely what i would do if it becomes necessary), is, if my depression or anxiety returns while i am taking 150mg, i will, instead of increasing the dose again, more likely add something to take along with the venlafaxine, this is called an 'addon' (or another way to see it is, something which gives the venlafaxine a 'boost). there are different options such as adding on a small dose of mirtazapine to take with the venlafaxine (that's only one example, there are lots of others, such as pregabalin etc)
tammy76379 sun47
Posted
Thank you! The fear of the unknown! I'm 53 and hope to have at least 30 more years. It's hard to imagine having to live with anxiety all of the remaining years. And there it is.... The what ifs. My worry is that if 150 may be too much. Plus, I get migraines, and have a prescription med that is dangerous to take with Effexor XR. (Zomig). Uggg, well the new increased dose is waiting for me to pick up at the pharmacy. I shouldn't worry and just trust the doctors.
Thanks for your advice.